Photo: Presto MusicJanáček: Jenůfa (Její pastorkyňa)
What Would a Mother Do
Jenůfa is one of Janáček’s most famous operas, based on a true tragedy in a Moravian village.
The story revolves around the young Jenůfa, her cousins Laca and Števa, and her stern, strong stepmother, the Kostelnička.
But at the heart of the opera is a heartbreaking question: how far will a mother go to protect her child?
To preserve the family’s honor, the Kostelnička does something irreversible—and Janáček, with his music, gives this moral abyss a chilling humanity.
Janáček’s Voice
Janáček’s musical language is unique. He argued that operatic vocal lines should be “like speech”—capturing the natural rhythm and inflection of the Czech language.
This makes his operas both raw and intimate, filled with a real, almost cruel emotion.
Rattle’s recording with the London Symphony Orchestra renders Janáček’s unique orchestral writing—woven with Moravian folk color and modern harmony—with exquisite precision.
That Famous Farewell
The ending of Act III of Jenůfa is one of the most moving moments in opera history.
When all the crimes are revealed, when all the pain reaches its peak, Jenůfa chooses forgiveness. She reaches out to Laca and speaks that famous line: “We have to live.”
Swedish soprano Agneta Eichenholz’s singing here makes this ending both heavy and full of the hope of rebirth.
Why Listen
This recording was released by LSO Live in 2025, an important installment in Rattle’s Janáček opera series.
Rattle’s affinity with Janáček runs deep; he has a unique understanding of this “speech-like” musical language. Combined with world-class LSO playing, this is a recording that lets you enter Janáček’s world completely.
Further Listening
If you love Janáček, Rattle’s The Excursions of Mr Brouček is a work of very different character. And his Mahler Seventh shows another kind of orchestral grandeur.
About the Performer
Swedish soprano, stepping in after Asmik Grigorian withdrew.
Swedish mezzo-soprano.
Czech tenor, an authority on Janáček roles.
English conductor (b. 1955). Former Berlin Philharmonic chief and LSO music director, now chief conductor of the BRSO. Multiple Taiwan visits.
Founded in 1904, one of the world's leading orchestras.
About the Composer
Czech composer (1854–1928), known for his unique, speech-derived vocal writing and Moravian folk influences.
Taiwan Performance History
Conductor Simon Rattle visited Taiwan three times with the Berlin Philharmonic (2005, 2011, 2013, at Taipei's National Concert Hall) and toured Taiwan with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in December 2024. He returns with the BRSO in November 2026: 11/15 Kaohsiung Weiwuying, 11/16 Taichung Opera, 11/18–19 Taipei National Concert Hall (Mahler's 'Resurrection' Symphony).